Synopses & Reviews
In
Feed My Dear Dogs, Emma Richler returns to the life of the Weiss family, first introduced to readers in her debut-and much-celebrated-book,
Sister Crazy, through a series of interconnected stories narrated by Jemima (Jem) Weiss.
The Weisses are a tight unit of seven: father Yaakov, a gruff sportswriter whose love for his children is manifest in his stern instructions and impromptu boxing lessons; mother Frances, a wise and gentle beauty adored by her family, almost to the point of obsession by her husband; Ben, the most heroic of the siblings, by virtue of birth-order and also for knowing the answer to all questions; Jude, Jems almost-twin, who is only fifteen months older than she and the most serious of the children, careful to point out the anti-Semitic leanings of Jems literary heroes; Jem, the narrator, who would prefer to never leave the comforting confines of her family; delicate yet hilarious Harriet, Jems only sister, who can sound like a little old lady or a sultry vixen, depending on what movie shes quoting; and Gus, the frail little boy who completes the circle at the beginning of the book with his birth and arrival home from the hospital.
Feed My Dear Dogs beings with the family in London, where eight-year-old Jem and her sister attend a convent school to the consternation of most of the nuns, since not only are the Weiss children not Catholic, but, most perplexingly, they are half-Jewish. Not surprisingly, Jem prefers home to school. At home she is surrounded by the books she loves, (particularly Tintin and Le Morte dArthur) and the comforts only a big, happy family can provide.
Soon, however, the family departs for Canada -“Dads country,” as the children see it-where together they begin a new life, shuttling between a Montreal townhouse and a country home, and adapting to their new land -even creating the “Weiss on Ice” hockey team. No matter where the family is, each member is fiercely loyal to home. From the use of short notes: “Out. Back soon. - Jude” to a simple “Ill be up in my room!” yelled down the stairs, to Yaakovs frantic bellowing of “Frances!” through the house, the family keeps close tabs on its members, which also allows Jem to subconsciously control it: “. . . my universe still the Universe, a place I wander with a slight swagger.”
But the comfort and security of family cant last forever, Jem learns in high school, as Jude plans an extensive travel itinerary for himself and Ben contemplates moving out on his own. Meanwhile, Jems burgeoning feminism pits her against her father and brothers while she battles with a burden of guilt over the near-drowning death of her youngest brother. Spiraling into a breakdown by the storys tragically beautiful end, Jem discovers that families simply can not remain fixed, like the stars in the galaxies, unchanged forever.
Intermingled through the story of the Weiss family are Jems (and her siblings) encyclopedic knowledge of history, literature, film, religion and language. Richler also interweaves the almost mythic life story of Frances, the familys matriarch, into the book, and provides glimpses into Jems troubled mind through a series of present-day conversations with her therapist, all of which serve to create a fully drawn portrait of Jem, her mother and the bond between them and the family as a whole.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
“I never really grasped why it was at all necessary to leave our house now and then and go to other houses, to play with other kids. . .” So begins Emma Richler’s story that takes us back to the magical world of the Weiss family with Jem, the sensitive heroine of
Sister Crazy, once again narrating.
When Dad and Mum announce that they will leave their idyllic, rambling home in England to move to “Dad’s country” (Canada), Jem is not sure it’s such a good idea. Staying close to her nearly twin brother, Jude, Jem must find ways to cope with all of this unnecessary chaos. As the family journeys across the ocean and Mum becomes very ill, Jem knows things will never be the same and so she begins to retreat into her imagination: the history of astronomy and Shackleton’s miraculous Antarctic mission captivate her and her world expands by her reading of Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur — applying all she learns about knighthood, chivalry and loyalty to the family she loves.
Slowly she begins to adjust to this new place — she’s playing hockey with the neighbourhood kids and feeling the intensity of Canadian winter — but her world is suddenly thrown into disarray again: Jude, her touchstone, is going travelling and he hasn’t made it clear when, or if, he’ll return. Jude’s breaking up of the Weiss family circle unmoors Jem and sets her off on a series of reminiscences about her magical early childhood — and gives the reader a glimpse into the unusual, heartbreaking early life of her beautiful mother, Frances.
Darkly humorous and full of intimate, funny-sad portraits, Feed My Dear Dogs explores the delicate emotions of childhood and leads us to a conclusion that at once reinforces and redefines familial love.
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Emma Richler was born in England in 1961, the middle child of five. She attended a convent school in London until 1972, when the family relocated to Quebec, where her father, Mordecai Richler, and her mother, Florence Wood, were born.
In Montreal, she attended a French convent school and later studied French literature at the University of Toronto and the Université de Provence in Southern France. Unlike her four siblings - all of whom have careers in media-she trained in the theatre, studying at the Circle in the Square in New York. Richler was an accomplished actor for over a decade, working in Canada at the Young Peoples Theatre in Toronto and at Stratford, and later in the UK, appearing in various plays and television and radio dramas.
In 1998 she decided to give up acting to turn her attention to writing full-time. With full support and encouragement from her father, she completed her first book, Sister Crazy, a collection of related short stories. Published in 2002, it garnered high praise, became a bestseller, and was recognized by literary-prize juries on both sides of the Atlantic.
Only three and a half weeks after finishing Sister Crazy, Richler began writing her first novel, Feed My Dear Dogs, which was published in 2005. Feed My Dear Dogs was a national bestseller and was described by many reviewers as one of the best books of the year.
Emma Richler lives in London, England, and is currently at work on her third book.
From the Hardcover edition.
Reading Group Guide
In
Feed My Dear Dogs, Emma Richler returns to the life of the Weiss family, first introduced to readers in her debut–and much-celebrated–book,
Sister Crazy, through a series of interconnected stories narrated by Jemima (Jem) Weiss.
The Weisses are a tight unit of seven: father Yaakov, a gruff sportswriter whose love for his children is manifest in his stern instructions and impromptu boxing lessons; mother Frances, a wise and gentle beauty adored by her family, almost to the point of obsession by her husband; Ben, the most heroic of the siblings, by virtue of birth-order and also for knowing the answer to all questions; Jude, Jem’s almost-twin, who is only fifteen months older than she and the most serious of the children, careful to point out the anti-Semitic leanings of Jem’s literary heroes; Jem, the narrator, who would prefer to never leave the comforting confines of her family; delicate yet hilarious Harriet, Jem’s only sister, who can sound like a little old lady or a sultry vixen, depending on what movie she’s quoting; and Gus, the frail little boy who completes the circle at the beginning of the book with his birth and arrival home from the hospital.
Feed My Dear Dogs beings with the family in London, where eight-year-old Jem and her sister attend a convent school to the consternation of most of the nuns, since not only are the Weiss children not Catholic, but, most perplexingly, they are half-Jewish. Not surprisingly, Jem prefers home to school. At home she is surrounded by the books she loves, (particularly Tintin and Le Morte d’Arthur) and the comforts only a big, happy family can provide.
Soon, however, the family departs for Canada –“Dad’s country,” as the children see it–where together they begin a new life, shuttling between a Montreal townhouse and a country home, and adapting to their new land –even creating the “Weiss on Ice” hockey team. No matter where the family is, each member is fiercely loyal to home. From the use of short notes: “Out. Back soon. – Jude” to a simple “I’ll be up in my room!” yelled down the stairs, to Yaakov’s frantic bellowing of “Frances!” through the house, the family keeps close tabs on its members, which also allows Jem to subconsciously control it: “. . . my universe still the Universe, a place I wander with a slight swagger.”
But the comfort and security of family can’t last forever, Jem learns in high school, as Jude plans an extensive travel itinerary for himself and Ben contemplates moving out on his own. Meanwhile, Jem’s burgeoning feminism pits her against her father and brothers while she battles with a burden of guilt over the near-drowning death of her youngest brother. Spiraling into a breakdown by the story’s tragically beautiful end, Jem discovers that families simply can not remain fixed, like the stars in the galaxies, unchanged forever.
Intermingled through the story of the Weiss family are Jem’s (and her siblings’) encyclopedic knowledge of history, literature, film, religion and language. Richler also interweaves the almost mythic life story of Frances, the family’s matriarch, into the book, and provides glimpses into Jem’s troubled mind through a series of present-day conversations with her therapist, all of which serve to create a fully drawn portrait of Jem, her mother and the bond between them and the family as a whole.
From the Hardcover edition.
1. When Yaakov and Frances first bring baby Gus home from the hospital, Jem decides that the family is complete; “That’s enough knights! Now we are seven, our number is up!” she thinks, referring to the Knights of the Round Table. Why does Jem make this comparison? How else does Jem romanticize her family?
2. Jem reveals that she can remember very early memories, specifically recalling the red dress her mother was wearing when Jem was only eight days old. Can you recall any other scenes in which the colour red is significant? Jem explains to Harriet that the colours in a prism number seven: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. How do you think Jem would match each member of her family to each colour?
3. There is much in the book about exploration – Shackleton’s voyage to the Arctic, Hubble exploring space through his lens, Frances declaring she’ll be first in line to travel to the moon. Why do you think Jem has a fascination with exploration? What kinds of journeys – geographical, spiritual, historical, psychological – does Jem embark on?
4. There is a constant juxtaposition of Judaism and Catholicism in the book: the girls attend a convent and the boys immerse themselves in their father’s religion. Jem and her sister are always careful to “protect” their father from any offending Catholic references. Do you think there is a deeper motive for the girls to keep Catholicism outside of the home?
5. Frances tells her children that she is of “unknown origins,” and Jem says, “I want to make things up, but I do not. Because if you do not stick to the evidence, you will not be trusted as a chronicler . . .” With that in mind, do you think the story of Frances’s life (set in italics throughout the book) was created by Jem, or did you interpret it as separate from Jem’s narration? Would you describe the book as Jem’s lament for her mother?
6. Which family member did you feel the closest connection to? Who made you laugh the most? Did you have trouble separating the Weiss family from what you know of Emma Richler’s family? Did you recognize any similarities to your own family? Did you feel like an outsider, or did you immerse yourself in the inside jokes – Make room for the cat! – and recall some from your own family’s history?
7. A number of reviewers of Feed My Dear Dogs referred to Jude’s forewarning to Jem, “You have to stop making everything to do with us. We are not the world, the Weiss family is not the world,” as a jumping-off point for discussion. Did you also refer to this lesson from Jude as you read the book? Why do you think Jem couldn’t resist making everything to do with her family?
8. The cover photograph was taken by Frank Hurley, one of the stranded members of Shackleton’s expedition to the Arctic; the novel’s title Feed My Dear Dogs refers to Shackleton’s allegiance to his dogs and is also a nod to Emily Brontë’s alleged last words. Why do you think Richler chose this as the title? How did you interpret its meaning by the book’s end?
1. When Yaakov and Frances first bring baby Gus home from the hospital, Jem decides that the family is complete; “Thats enough knights! Now we are seven, our number is up!” she thinks, referring to the Knights of the Round Table. Why does Jem make this comparison? How else does Jem romanticize her family?
2. Jem reveals that she can remember very early memories, specifically recalling the red dress her mother was wearing when Jem was only eight days old. Can you recall any other scenes in which the colour red is significant? Jem explains to Harriet that the colours in a prism number seven: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. How do you think Jem would match each member of her family to each colour?
3. There is much in the book about exploration - Shackletons voyage to the Arctic, Hubble exploring space through his lens, Frances declaring shell be first in line to travel to the moon. Why do you think Jem has a fascination with exploration? What kinds of journeys - geographical, spiritual, historical, psychological - does Jem embark on?
4. There is a constant juxtaposition of Judaism and Catholicism in the book: the girls attend a convent and the boys immerse themselves in their fathers religion. Jem and her sister are always careful to “protect” their father from any offending Catholic references. Do you think there is a deeper motive for the girls to keep Catholicism outside of the home?
5. Frances tells her children that she is of “unknown origins,” and Jem says, “I want to make things up, but I do not. Because if you do not stick to the evidence, you will not be trusted as a chronicler . . .” With that in mind, do you think the story of Francess life (set in italics throughout the book) was created by Jem, or did you interpret it as separate from Jems narration? Would you describe the book as Jems lament for her mother?
6. Which family member did you feel the closest connection to? Who made you laugh the most? Did you have trouble separating the Weiss family from what you know of Emma Richlers family? Did you recognize any similarities to your own family? Did you feel like an outsider, or did you immerse yourself in the inside jokes - Make room for the cat! - and recall some from your own familys history?
7. A number of reviewers of Feed My Dear Dogs referred to Judes forewarning to Jem, “You have to stop making everything to do with us. We are not the world, the Weiss family is not the world,” as a jumping-off point for discussion. Did you also refer to this lesson from Jude as you read the book? Why do you think Jem couldnt resist making everything to do with her family?
8. The cover photograph was taken by Frank Hurley, one of the stranded members of Shackletons expedition to the Arctic; the novels title Feed My Dear Dogs refers to Shackletons allegiance to his dogs and is also a nod to Emily Brontës alleged last words. Why do you think Richler chose this as the title? How did you interpret its meaning by the books end?
Author Q&A
Can you tell us how you became a writer?It may have always been on the cards, but I only opened the tool box when the urge to write became too powerful to ignore, and the voice that is the narrator of Sister Crazy filled my head to bursting. And so I began to write, and what I began with was, more or less intact, the very first sentence of Sister Crazy.
What inspired you to write this particular book? Is there a story about the writing of this novel that begs to be told?
The characters in Sister Crazy had not finished with me, simple as that. There was also a very strong story line and theme that haunted me from the outset that I knew would take me places quite different from those in the dance that was Sister Crazy. It was always going to be a complex task, but wholly impelling. A novel, for me, tends to begin with an image and a mood, and then the voice comes, fey as this may sound!
What is it that you’re exploring in this book?
Life.
Who is your favourite character in this book, and why?
To be honest, I can’t see my characters in terms of favourites. Harriet is possibly the most enchanting, and certainly surprised me, taking over whole scenes in which she may have started as a cameo! As I wrote in the first person, I came to love Gus the way Jem does, and Jude, all of the family, and Zachariah and Michael, and so on. It is only now that I am on to a whole new set of characters in my writing that I can begin to detach myself. I think the characters in Feed My Dear Dogs will also always be with me on a certain level, as will my present company of characters, often seeming more real than one's flesh and blood world. That is true, I feel, for most novelists.
Are there any tips you would give a book club to better navigate their discussion of your book?
Read the Gospels?
Do you have a favourite story to tell about being interviewed about your book?
I am a reluctant interviewee and have been very lucky, largely, to encounter most intelligent and sensitive, serious interviewers, with, possibly, one exception involving a slightly snide lady, a wee bit long in the tooth, who brought nothing but her rather baffling preconceptions to the table, and clearly betrayed the fact that she had not read beyond page two of the book. She kept talking about the death of a character who was very much alive and kicking, and seemed more interested in the identity of the person in the acknowledgments page than the actual book. Thankfully, [my editor] Louise Dennys and her lovely cohorts had just treated me to a wonderful lunch with fine wine, which can be excellent at dispelling irritations.
What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?
“Would you like a large glass of red burgundy?”
Has a review or profile ever changed your perspective on your work?
No, that simply cannot happen. You can only have one perspective and that is your own. Praises are a relief, intelligent readings are gratifying, misunderstanding and/or dislike can be irritating or upsetting, but never for long. Criticism can be constructive, but rarely instructive. A writer can only bring himself to the writing desk. I try to avoid reading reviews and profiles, furthermore, as they can mess with your mind, if only fleetingly. I did, however, sit in an airport lounge on the way back to London after the last Canadian tour, right next to an open arts section with big pic of me and profile beneath. I caught the words “petite,” “intense,” and “blonde,” giggled, and shuffled off to the bar for a Beck’s. I was sick on the plane for the first time ever. I am told it was a very nice profile, incidentally.
Which authors have been most influential to your own writing?
I can tell you authors I most admire, but cannot tell how I am influenced. I can only write in my own voice, but who knows what creeps in subliminally? I am a great admirer of Dickens, Tolstoy, Lermontov, Joseph Roth, Thomas Bernhard, Thomas Mann, William Maxwell, James Thurber, Joseph Mitchell, Paul Scott, and, of course, Hergé..
If you weren’t writing, what would you want to be doing for a living? What are some of your other passions in life?
I would like to be a great leg-spinner like Shane Warne. Or a batsman of supreme elegance such as Michael Vaughan at his best. I love cricket and my niece Simone is a particularly promising fast bowler though she is only five.
If you could have written one book in history, what book would that be?
The next novel, always the next novel …